Easy Panera Autumn Squash Soup Recipe (Copycat)

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A healthier copycat recipe for Panera Autumn Squash Soup that the whole family will love. This easy, vegetarian copycat autumn squash soup recipe is silky smooth and delicious.

This Panera butternut squash soup is perfect for warming you on a chilly fall or winter day! It’s a hearty meal that works well with bread and salad.

We love Panera and eat there regularly, but sometimes you want to duplicate the taste at home without the cost! Try my other Panera recipes, like this 10 Vegetable Soup, Panera Orange Scones and this Green Goddess Chicken Salad. 

I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, feel free to click “Jump to Recipe” right under the title of this post, and you’ll head straight there!

Panera Autumn Squash Soup

I received free produce from Melissa’s produce and light brown sugar provided by Dixie Crystals; but the opinions on the deliciousness of this soup and these products are entirely my own!  

I know you will fall in love with these other fall favorites! Fall Charcuterie Board, Gluten-Free Apple Pie, Graham Cracker Crumble, and this easy Pear Bundt cake.

If you are a soup lover like us, you will love these reader favorites, like this Creamy Poblano Chicken Soup, another winning Panera recipe Broccoli Cheese Soup and this Chicken & Wild Rice Soup! This autumn squash soup fits the bill. It’s easy to make and is always a big hit! 

Simple Ingredients for Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup

Butternut squash |  The heart of this recipe, providing the fall flavor and color, this delicious squash is from Melissa’s Produce.

Vegetable broth | It adds the perfect flavor and you can substitute beef or chicken broth.

Pumpkin puree | Puree, not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling. It provides a natural sweetness and helps thicken the recipe.

Apple Juice or Apple Cider | The secret ingredient! Adds a delicious sweetness, naturally! Apple cider is preferred, but if you cannot find, use 100% pure apple juice. Do not use apple cider vinegar!

Spices & Seasonings | Combining fresh ginger, curry powder, cinnamon, kosher salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg gives the dish a kick of flavor. 

Cream Cheese | The cream cheese is the best secret to making this autumn squash soup rich and smooth. Use full-fat or Neufchatel cream cheese.

Brown Sugar | Using Dixie Crystals brown sugar is a must because it adds the right amount of sweetness and it’s non-GMO! WHOOT!

Chili Pepitas | Also called pumpkin seeds are made with cayenne pepper or chili powder, olive oil, salt, and raw pepitas. They add a nice crunch and are the ideal garnish.

How to Make Panera Autumn Squash Soup Recipe

Step 1 | How to Peel and Cut Butternut Squash

Wash squash and dry, using a sharp knife on a sturdy cutting board, slice off the ends of the squash. Using a Y Peeler or regular vegetable peeler, peel away the tough skin of the squash.

Cut the squash in half, then again in quarters to reveal the seeds and “guts” of the squash. Using a grapefruit spoon or regular sharper spoon, scoop out the seeds.

Using a large sharp knife, chop the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes.

Step 2 | Making Autumn Squash Soup

In a large pot, heat the oil and add the shallots and saute for a few minutes.

Add the squash, carrots, salt, and pepper, cooking and stirring until the veggies soften. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Mix in the garlic, ginger, brown sugar, curry powder, and cook until the veggies begin to caramelize.

Add the water, broth, and apple juice to the pan and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup until the squash can easily be pierced with a fork.

Remove from the heat. Stir in butter, cream cheese, pumpkin puree, and brown sugar.

Step 3 | Puree soup and make roasted pepitas

Prepare the Chili Pepitas by adding to a hot pan with melted butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and chili powder. Cook until they begin to pop and stir constantly.

Puree with a hand-held immersion blender or high-speed blender until smooth and creamy, or see notes below for silky smooth butternut squash soup. Making Autumn Squash soup in your Vitamix makes it so easy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Vegan Autumn Squash Soup (or Dairy-Free)

Make this recipe vegan or dairy-free by substituting the cream cheese with plant-based cream cheese or coconut cream, and use plant-based butter or replace it with a little olive oil.

Storage Tips

Cool soup completely and store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge up to one week, frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge for the best texture, then reheat on stovetop adding a little additional cream if necessary to bring it all together.

More Copycat Recipes

• Panera Thai Style Chicken Soup Recipe (Tom Kha Soup)
• Panera Pickled Red Onions (Quick Refrigerator Pickled Onions)
• Outback Potato Soup Recipe (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)
• 10 Vegetable Soup Recipe (Panera Bread Copycat)
• Easy Cinnamon Chip Scones Recipe (Copycat Panera)

Check out ALL of the fantastic fall flavor recipes at the end of this post!

I hope you loved this Panera Autumn Squash Soup Recipe — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!

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Easy Panera Autumn Squash Soup Recipe (Copycat)

Author: Kathleen Pope

4.75 from 24 votes

A healthier Panera Autumn Squash Soup, a copycat recipe the whole family will love. This easy copycat autumn squash soup recipe is silky smooth and delicious. A healthier copycat recipe the whole family will love.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Soups & Stews

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 146 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  OXO Good Grips Y-Peeler
• ▢
  Immersion Blender
• ▢
  Vitamix Explorian Blender

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 large shallots, diced or 1 small onion, diced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 2-3 medium carrots, chopped (medium carrots)
• ▢ 2 pounds butternut squash, about 6 heaping cups (peeled, seeded and cubed)
• ▢ ½ – 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
• ▢ Fresh ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, fresh grated, or or 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ▢ ½ – 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ▢ 3-4 cups Vegetable Broth
• ▢ 1-2 cups Apple Cider , or 100% apple juice, NOT apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ½ – 1 cup water, if sweeter soup desired, replace some water with apple juice
• ▢ 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling (optional, use less vegetable broth or water if not using)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened (neufchâtel works great here)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter, replace with olive oil or plant-based butter
• ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar, may omit if desired
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ Dash of nutmeg
• ▢ Heavy Cream, optional I added about ¼ cup to the entire batch for a more silky soup
• ▢ Fresh grated nutmeg, for serving, optional

Chili Pepitas

• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil or butter
• ▢ dash Kosher salt
• ▢ dash Cayenne pepper , or chili powder
• ▢ 1/3 cup raw pepitas, pumpkin seeds

Instructions

 

How to Cut Butternut Squash

• Wash squash and dry, using a sharp knife on a sturdy cutting board, slice off the ends of the squash. Using a Y Peeler or regular vegetable peeler, peel away the tough skin of the squash.
• Cut the squash in half, then again in quarters to reveal the seeds and "guts" of the squash. Using a grapefruit spoon or regular sharper spoon, scoop out the seeds.
• Using a large sharp knife, chop the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes.

Panera Autumn Squash Soup

• In a large pot, heat the oil and add the shallots and saute for a few minutes.
• Add the squash, carrots, salt, and pepper, cooking and stirring until the veggies soften 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Mix in the garlic, brown sugar, ginger, curry powder, cinnamon and nutmeg, cooking until the veggies begin to caramelize, 2 minutes.
• Add the water, broth, and apple juice to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Simmer the soup until the squash can easily be pierced with a fork, about 10-15 minutes
• Remove from the heat. Stir in butter, cream cheese, and pumpkin puree.
• Meanwhile, if desired, make Chili Pepitas. Melt butter or oil in a small saute pan, add pepitas, stirring to coat, toss in a little kosher salt (a few pinches) and sprinkle with chili powder (add a shake or two of cayenne pepper for a kick). Stir until they start “popping” then remove from heat. 
• Using an immersion blender (stick blender) puree until smooth, or puree in small batches in a regular blender. Blend until very smooth. If you have a larger Vitamix or high speed blender, puree on Soup function until smooth and silky.
• Taste soup, adding more salt and pepper if needed. If you want it sweeter you can add a little additional brown sugar, maple syrup, apple juice or honey. 
• If desired, stir in a little heavy cream (optional) and add a bit more broth or water or apple juice if soup is too thick for your liking. Adding additional apple juice, water or broth to taste.
• Serve soup immediately, or may be kept on stove and rewarmed over low heat until warm. Serve with a few drops of heavy cream swirled in and top with chili pepitas. 

✱ Kathleen’s Tips

For thicker soup use less, water and broth, for thinner soup, add additional broth, water or apple juice.

• A silkier, smoother butternut squash soup using a Vitamix. A high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec have better motors and blades than your average blender, worth the investment. Try this Potato Leek Soup too!
• You can garnish the soup with freshly grated nutmeg. If you love creamy textures, try a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche before serving and some toasted Chile Pepitas!
• Panera Autumn Squash Soup can be frozen for up to 3 months! This silicone freezer tray is a great way to keep your soup for later. It’s best to leave the cream out if you plan on freezing.

To make ahead or for leftovers, allow soup to cool completely, then store in fridge for up to 5 days. If possible wait to add cream until right before serving. 

Variations & Substitutions

• Vegan or Dairy-Free Autumn Squash Soup | Easily make this recipe vegan or dairy free by substituting the cream cheese with plant-based cream cheese or coconut cream, and use plant-based butter or replace with a little olive oil.
• Use heavy cream in place of cream cheese for a silky, hot soup.
• Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup | I still recommend that you saute your veggies in a pan to get the most flavor, but if you are rushed, you can toss it all in a slow cooker/crock pot (except butter and cream cheese). Cook for 4-6 hours on low, or 2-3 hours on high, until soft and tender, stir in butter and cream cheese, then proceed with immersion blender or high speed blender until smooth.
• Replace shallots with one small diced onion.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 146 kcal Carbohydrates: 24 g Protein: 2 g Fat: 6 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g Trans Fat: 0.1 g Cholesterol: 11 mg Sodium: 551 mg Potassium: 547 mg Fiber: 4 g Sugar: 9 g Vitamin A: 17311 IU Vitamin C: 26 mg Calcium: 77 mg Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Fresh Cooky is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More #FallFlavors Recipes Below:

Appetizers and Snacks

• Caramel Pecan Clusters from An Affair from the Heart
• Carrot Top Hummus from Savory Moments
• Fall Charcuterie Board from Magical Ingredients
• Roasted Red Pepper and Crab Savory Cheesecake from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Sweet And Spicy Roasted Nuts from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Breakfast and Baked Goods

• Apple Cranberry Pecan Overnight Oats from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Cinnamon Apple Bread from Lemon Blossoms
• Sweet Potato Pancakes from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Soups and Salads

• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup from Devour Dinner
• Panera Autumn Squash Soup Recipe from The Fresh Cooky
• Salmon Salad With Grapes And Pecans from Art of Natural Living

Side Dishes

• Apple Butter Dijon Roasted Brussel Sprouts With Candied Pecans And Green Apple from Soulfully Made
• Butternut Squash And Bacon Risotto from SueBee Homemaker
• Loaded Bacon And Kale Salad from Palatable Pastime
• Roasted Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts And Butternut Squash from Eat Move Make
• Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash from Hostess At Heart

Main Dishes

About Kathleen Pope

Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer

Hi, I’m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Read more about Kathleen here.